2003 Custom Hummer H2 and Sandrail - Sand Box Toys

Two For The Price Of One

Ever wanted to overpower the dunes like a monster truck and tower over the earth like a gargantuan? Ever fantasized about blazing through the desert like Ivan Stewart? Apparently Doug Deberti of DeBerti Designs couldn't decide which fantasy he'd like to fulfill, so he built two toys that take dramatically different routes to conquer the sand. Like his other vehicles that have been featured in Truckin', these two off-road machines each sport billet accessories. Many of them are custom one-off pieces, the only ones in existence-so don't bother asking where you can buy them. Actually, aside from some custom billet and purple paint, these two vehicles don't have much in common, which is exactly what makes them such a blast to drive.

Thanks to a Cognito Motorsports (in Bakersfield, California) 12-inch lift, Doug's 2003 H2 now clears 40x13.5-22 Toyo tires, giving plenty of contact patch to float over the dunes. A little extra power comes in handy when those tires are churning the sand, so underneath the hood are Gibson headers with a Corsa after-cat that help the 6.0L Vortec breathe a little easier. An H2 with 12 inches of lift doesn't exactly blend in with the scenery, but just to make sure it's not lost in the crowd, the daunting machine now wears a two-tone paint scheme that features House of Kolor Violette Pearl paint. Continuing the modification on the exterior are a DeBerti Design custom grille, an SMA tire carrier, billet gas door, hood hinges, and side vents.

The theme continues inside; an SMA billet floor shifter and vent trim accent the Violette Pearl center console and dash to continue the color scheme. To impart some luxury to the utilitarian H2 interior, the seats were treated to Classic Soft Trim leather that match the lower dash and door panels.

While the H2 is plenty capable, the Extreme Performance Double Throw Down sandrail is purpose-built for fun, so it shines out in the dunes. Despite the amazing graphics, the focal point of this sand toy is its twin Whipple-supercharged fuel injected small-block. Starting with a Dart aluminum block and heads and Lunati rotating assembly, Bill Standridge built the engine to dominate the sand. Displacing 406ci, the powerplant, like the rest of the buggy, has several unique pieces. An Erson cam with .675 inches of lift on the intake and .645 inches of lift on the exhaust was custom ground for the application. While they were at it, Erson gave the cam the LS1's smoother firing order. This combo initially dyno'd at 828hp, but Standridge installed larger pulleys to reduce boost and increase reliability.

If power-to-weight ratio means anything to you, you'll realize the potential this sandrail has for blistering acceleration. While sand isn't the best surface for traction, at least it keeps the brutal power of this engine from shattering CV joints when it comes in for a landing. As you can see, it's plenty capable of getting airborne.